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{
    "id": 374138,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/374138/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 258,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Ms.) Chepkwony",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 640,
        "legal_name": "Hellen Chelangat Chepkwony",
        "slug": "hellen-chelangat-chepkwony"
    },
    "content": "Thank you hon. Speaker, Sir. This is the first time I have caught your eyes. I beg to support the Bill because there is tea industry where I come from and, it has so many issues. If it were to be merged with coffee, sugar, or sisal, as some hon. Members have said, I do not think the small-scale farmers would get the best service. Hon. Speaker, so those who passed the Bill during the last Parliament did not think broadly about changes that are taking place in this country, for example, devolution. Our Government is now devolving into counties and farming and other activities will be efficient. Hon. Speaker, Sir, if we merge everything and take it to the national level, I do not think the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) will manage issues of the whole country. For that reason, we support the extension so that we can see which ones deserve to be merged and which ones can remain as they are. Hon. Speaker, Sir, concerning roads in the tea and sugarcane growing areas, the mode of transport is different. For example, in sugarcane growing areas, tractors are mainly used, while in the tea growing areas, they use lorries and pick-ups. Therefore, it needs close management. The cess for tea should go to the tea growing areas, while the cess for sugar should go to sugarcane growing areas. Hon. Speaker, Sir, the pyrethrum industry has totally collapsed and we do not know which sector will agree to use its funds on it. So, for that reason, it is unfair to merge all these parastatals. For instance, sisal is grown in Mombasa; how can you expect a CEO in Mombasa to manage the tea industry? What knowledge will he have of the tea industry? So, even if we are going to extend and talk about it, we are going to deal with it individually and see the ones which can be merged and those which will not. With those few remarks, I support the Bill."
}